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| From Anna at 16 months |
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Anna at 16 months
We're off on our holiday travels now, more information and pictures when we return!
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Gymnastics
Anna is now a gymnast! She had her first class today, and did really well. Her group is the "Tiny Tumblers", and, although it's mostly free play with giant foam blocks, she did get to spend some time on the trampoline. 2024 Olympics, here we come!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Anna at 15 months
This month started off with a Halloween visit from Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop! Anna got to go the the Boo at the Zoo and trick-or-treating in her giraffe costume. (Check out the video from the last post if you haven't done so already.) She was a little shy about trick-or-treating at first but she quickly got the hang of it. We also had another out of town guest - Uncle Ken came up from San Diego to hang out with us. We love having visitors!
Anna's speech and comprehension has improved dramatically this month. She can point to over100 different objects if prompted with the word, and she can suddenly say many of them with increasing clarity. Current favorite words include "bowl," "spoon,"' "owl," "pooh" (as in Winnie), and "off" (as in I want my socks off). She continues to love books but has really gotten into puzzles. She has a variety of wooden cutout puzzles to keep her occupied, her favorite of which has different shapes. Anna knows all twelve of them by name, including rhombus, parallelogram, oval, and pentagon! She also enjoys playing a Winnie the Pooh card game, like Memory but we keep the cards turned up and she finds the two copies of the word we say. Her favorite cards have Tigger on them.
Anna's motor skills continue to improve. She has learned how to walk backwards which is a handy skill for her when she is trying to avoid having her diaper changed, her face wiped clean, or her teeth brushed! She can now walk up small steps without holding on to anything for balance. In a moment of weakness Daddy bought her a teeball set (couldn't wait for Christmas) and Anna is working on connecting the ball to the bat.
She's got four molars breaking though her gums now, so the last few weeks have been painful for her and rough on our sleep, but things seem to be improving. Mommy had to leave for a business trip for four days this week, which was tough, but Anna and Daddy had a grand old time and held down the fort quite nicely.
We are looking forward to the holidays. We are hanging out in CA for Thanksgiving but we'll be back east for Christmas and hope to see many of you then.
Check out this month's pictures!
Anna's speech and comprehension has improved dramatically this month. She can point to over100 different objects if prompted with the word, and she can suddenly say many of them with increasing clarity. Current favorite words include "bowl," "spoon,"' "owl," "pooh" (as in Winnie), and "off" (as in I want my socks off). She continues to love books but has really gotten into puzzles. She has a variety of wooden cutout puzzles to keep her occupied, her favorite of which has different shapes. Anna knows all twelve of them by name, including rhombus, parallelogram, oval, and pentagon! She also enjoys playing a Winnie the Pooh card game, like Memory but we keep the cards turned up and she finds the two copies of the word we say. Her favorite cards have Tigger on them.
Anna's motor skills continue to improve. She has learned how to walk backwards which is a handy skill for her when she is trying to avoid having her diaper changed, her face wiped clean, or her teeth brushed! She can now walk up small steps without holding on to anything for balance. In a moment of weakness Daddy bought her a teeball set (couldn't wait for Christmas) and Anna is working on connecting the ball to the bat.
She's got four molars breaking though her gums now, so the last few weeks have been painful for her and rough on our sleep, but things seem to be improving. Mommy had to leave for a business trip for four days this week, which was tough, but Anna and Daddy had a grand old time and held down the fort quite nicely.
We are looking forward to the holidays. We are hanging out in CA for Thanksgiving but we'll be back east for Christmas and hope to see many of you then.
Check out this month's pictures!
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| Anna at 15 months |
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Learning time!
Anna has been hard at work on her vocabulary...
And if academics don't work out, we've always got a shot at an athletic scholarship!
Anna at 14 months
Fall is in full swing and Anna is enjoying every minute!
Anna's speech and ability to communicate have improved dramatically this past month. She can say lots of new words, like "cat," "duck," "dog," "bath" and "please." She understands many more words.... she can point to about twenty different objects in a picture book we've been reading with her. We've also noticed that she suddenly knows where to go in the house when we mention various items. Yes, basically we can play fetch with our child! Anna can also point to various body parts and is able to distinguish between Mommy's, Daddy's, and her own head, hair, ears, nose, teeth, tongue, cheeks, belly, knees, and toes!
Most of Anna's play revolves around "reading" books, but she loves being outside playing with her Dora chair and her slide. She has also been introduced to a few educational games on the iPad which we allow her to use sparingly. It's amazing what she can already do! She's just begun pointing with her index finger instead of her thumb or whole hand. Additionally, if you ask her how old she is, she can hold up her finger to indicate "one."
Anna is now the only girl in the Dragonflies, her daycare group, but she is no wallflower. She keeps the boys on their toes! She is well-loved by the teachers who report that she loves to snuggle when she wakes up from her naps. It is wonderful to take her to a place each morning where she is so happy.
This month flew by with hectic work schedules but we were able to go to the zoo several times as well as the pumpkin patch. The rain has returned so we are having to be more creative with our weekend activities. We are looking forward to a visit from Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop for Halloween this weekend.... be sure to check out Anna's costume here soon!
Anna's speech and ability to communicate have improved dramatically this past month. She can say lots of new words, like "cat," "duck," "dog," "bath" and "please." She understands many more words.... she can point to about twenty different objects in a picture book we've been reading with her. We've also noticed that she suddenly knows where to go in the house when we mention various items. Yes, basically we can play fetch with our child! Anna can also point to various body parts and is able to distinguish between Mommy's, Daddy's, and her own head, hair, ears, nose, teeth, tongue, cheeks, belly, knees, and toes!
Most of Anna's play revolves around "reading" books, but she loves being outside playing with her Dora chair and her slide. She has also been introduced to a few educational games on the iPad which we allow her to use sparingly. It's amazing what she can already do! She's just begun pointing with her index finger instead of her thumb or whole hand. Additionally, if you ask her how old she is, she can hold up her finger to indicate "one."
Anna is now the only girl in the Dragonflies, her daycare group, but she is no wallflower. She keeps the boys on their toes! She is well-loved by the teachers who report that she loves to snuggle when she wakes up from her naps. It is wonderful to take her to a place each morning where she is so happy.
This month flew by with hectic work schedules but we were able to go to the zoo several times as well as the pumpkin patch. The rain has returned so we are having to be more creative with our weekend activities. We are looking forward to a visit from Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop for Halloween this weekend.... be sure to check out Anna's costume here soon!
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| Anna at 14 months |
Thursday, September 23, 2010
13 Months
Another month has flown by! We've all settled in to our fall routines, back to our usual work and daycare routine. Anna has already been promoted to the advanced "Dragonfly" group at daycare, the last of the under-two groups. She's a confident walker, and she does a good job of pushing the bigger boys around, even though they're a head taller than she is! She gets to spend more time outside now - there are lots of play structures to explore. She also gets to do more interesting arts and crafts projects, which of course adorn our refrigerator.
Anna's speech continues to improve. "Up" and "down" are used frequently to indicate whether or not she'd like to be held, and she loves her "cup." She's developed her own versions of "book," "diaper," and "outside" which we understand, although the casual observer might think is just babbling. After dinner each night she demands "BA-BA!" which means banana. She's become fascinated with cats and dogs and will chase after them endlessly. She's working on saying "woof woof" (wuh-wuh). She's learned how to blow kisses which is just heartwarming. And she has figured out how to unlock and use our iPhones, so if you get a random phone call, it may be from Anna.
More and more, Anna insists on feeding herself. She is a great eater and her daycare teachers are astonished by the amount she can put away. She's recently discovered rotini pasta and is absolutely in love. We've been getting amazing heirloom tomatoes lately in our weekly CSA veggie box and Anna has been happily munching on them. No new teeth to report, although unfortunately she does seem to be struggling with teething pain.
We're enjoying the lovely northern California weather immensely and look forward to several more months of daily walks, outside playtime, and even eating dinner on the porch. Take a look at what we've been up to by clicking the picture below:
Anna's speech continues to improve. "Up" and "down" are used frequently to indicate whether or not she'd like to be held, and she loves her "cup." She's developed her own versions of "book," "diaper," and "outside" which we understand, although the casual observer might think is just babbling. After dinner each night she demands "BA-BA!" which means banana. She's become fascinated with cats and dogs and will chase after them endlessly. She's working on saying "woof woof" (wuh-wuh). She's learned how to blow kisses which is just heartwarming. And she has figured out how to unlock and use our iPhones, so if you get a random phone call, it may be from Anna.
More and more, Anna insists on feeding herself. She is a great eater and her daycare teachers are astonished by the amount she can put away. She's recently discovered rotini pasta and is absolutely in love. We've been getting amazing heirloom tomatoes lately in our weekly CSA veggie box and Anna has been happily munching on them. No new teeth to report, although unfortunately she does seem to be struggling with teething pain.
We're enjoying the lovely northern California weather immensely and look forward to several more months of daily walks, outside playtime, and even eating dinner on the porch. Take a look at what we've been up to by clicking the picture below:
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| Anna - 13 months |
Monday, August 23, 2010
Anna turns 1 year old!
It's been a full year since Anna arrived in our lives - amazing! It's truly been the best year of our lives.
We have had a whirlwind of a month. We started off with a trip back east. First stop: Philadelphia to see Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop. We visited Pop-Pop at the firehouse - after reading all about how Anna's BFF Curious George visited a firehouse. Some great pictures! Next stop was Ellicott City to stay with Grandma Jean and Grandpa Dick and meet Anna's new cousin Logan. Anna did not seem to pay Logan much attention, but she certainly liked playing with his toys! Aunt Laura was even able to join us at Uncle Tom and Aunt Stacey's house - it was nice to have so many Perones together. Later on our trip we took Anna to a petting zoo which she seemed to really enjoy. Anna did pretty well on all of our flights, but she was happy to return home to California.
Anna continues to get bigger, smarter and more adventurous! Her walking has improved tremendously and she toddles from room to room easily. She has eight teeth and is working on a molar - no fun! Her vocabulary is steadily improving - lately she enjoys saying "Stop it!" Her hair is growing so long that we've started using barrettes to pull it off of her forehead. At daycare, Anna is being trained to sleep on a mat with the big kids instead of a crib with the infants... and is having success! Our favorite development of all - Anna gives hugs and kisses on demand! Getting a hug from her is the best feeling in the world. Unfortunately, her kisses are still open-mouthed, so they're a little messy!
Her first birthday has been a multi-day celebration. Grandpa Pat and Grandma Barb spent the whole weekend with us, and got to join us on lots of walks in the park. Anna certainly got quite the haul: a kitchen set from Mommy and Daddy, a tricycle from Grandma Jean and Grandpa Dick, a slide from Grandpa Pat and Grandma Barb, and a personalized easy chair from Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop - along with a pile of clothes, books, puzzles, and miscellaneous toys, not to mention extras from aunts and uncles. Anna got to try her first real cake, which was as much of a hit for its aerodynamic properties as its culinary virtues. And, despite their fragility, balloons are a hit too!
Take a look at all the fun we've been having by clicking on the picture below!
We have had a whirlwind of a month. We started off with a trip back east. First stop: Philadelphia to see Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop. We visited Pop-Pop at the firehouse - after reading all about how Anna's BFF Curious George visited a firehouse. Some great pictures! Next stop was Ellicott City to stay with Grandma Jean and Grandpa Dick and meet Anna's new cousin Logan. Anna did not seem to pay Logan much attention, but she certainly liked playing with his toys! Aunt Laura was even able to join us at Uncle Tom and Aunt Stacey's house - it was nice to have so many Perones together. Later on our trip we took Anna to a petting zoo which she seemed to really enjoy. Anna did pretty well on all of our flights, but she was happy to return home to California.
Anna continues to get bigger, smarter and more adventurous! Her walking has improved tremendously and she toddles from room to room easily. She has eight teeth and is working on a molar - no fun! Her vocabulary is steadily improving - lately she enjoys saying "Stop it!" Her hair is growing so long that we've started using barrettes to pull it off of her forehead. At daycare, Anna is being trained to sleep on a mat with the big kids instead of a crib with the infants... and is having success! Our favorite development of all - Anna gives hugs and kisses on demand! Getting a hug from her is the best feeling in the world. Unfortunately, her kisses are still open-mouthed, so they're a little messy!
Her first birthday has been a multi-day celebration. Grandpa Pat and Grandma Barb spent the whole weekend with us, and got to join us on lots of walks in the park. Anna certainly got quite the haul: a kitchen set from Mommy and Daddy, a tricycle from Grandma Jean and Grandpa Dick, a slide from Grandpa Pat and Grandma Barb, and a personalized easy chair from Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop - along with a pile of clothes, books, puzzles, and miscellaneous toys, not to mention extras from aunts and uncles. Anna got to try her first real cake, which was as much of a hit for its aerodynamic properties as its culinary virtues. And, despite their fragility, balloons are a hit too!
Take a look at all the fun we've been having by clicking on the picture below!
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| Anna- 1 year |
Friday, July 23, 2010
Anna at 11 months
Wow - the months are flying by and we almost have a 1 year old on our hands!
The big news is that Anna took her first steps on July 3rd - the day before we left for our Hawaiian vacation with two sets of grandparents. Brian convinced her to to come to him by jangling car keys - a favorite toy with which she is not often allowed to play! She took four steps in a row that day and is now up to about 10 or so. She's still not very confident about it and is much happier to take a walk grasping Mommy or Daddy's finger (and, truth be told, we prefer it that way for now - no need to rush)!
Anna had a ball on her vacation - she had just gotten over a cold and a stomach bug and was ready for fun. Unfortunately, she passed on her illnesses on to Mommy, then Daddy, then Grandma Barb, then Mom-Mom, then Grandpa Pat, then Pop-Pop - each of us was sick at some point during the trip! (Several of us are still sick!) Luckily there were lots of hands on deck to take care of Anna. We'd usually begin the day down at the lagoon, nap, then take an afternoon dip in the pool. We found a great float that allowed her to walk around the shallow end on her own but also be pulled into the deeper end. However, she more enjoyed being out of the float and crawling around shallow water. Anna is very comfortable in the water - see the videos in the previous post. She was a little apprehensive of sand but got better as the week progressed.
In other news, Anna is up to seven teeth and is in the process of cutting another one. She's eating lots of table food and if you're not careful, will take what you have right off your plate! Next week she will start eating the lunch provided at daycare rather than the baby food we've been making and bring in for her. She is NOT a picky eater; she happily will try anything and we have yet to find a food that she refuses. She's also been trying out different sippy cups with water (and an occasional sip of juice), trying to get the hang of how they work.
Her verbal skills continue to develop. It's not unusual to find Anna sitting in a pile of books, pretending to read one with a complex babble. She's recently learned the word "no," but luckily she's only used it to tell me when she does not want any more food. We're working on perfecting "all done" and "diaper." Anna practices her talking with her favorite pal "Georgie," a stuffed Curious George doll with whom she is absolutely enamored. We've recently resurrected some of her "baby" toys like the swing and Bumbo so she can place Georgie in them - she gets such a kick out of it!
Can't believe that the next post will be for a 1 year-old! We are really enjoying watching Anna grow into a "big girl." Take a look at the pictures by clicking on the photo below, and don't forget to check out the Hawaiian videos Brian posted below that.
The big news is that Anna took her first steps on July 3rd - the day before we left for our Hawaiian vacation with two sets of grandparents. Brian convinced her to to come to him by jangling car keys - a favorite toy with which she is not often allowed to play! She took four steps in a row that day and is now up to about 10 or so. She's still not very confident about it and is much happier to take a walk grasping Mommy or Daddy's finger (and, truth be told, we prefer it that way for now - no need to rush)!
Anna had a ball on her vacation - she had just gotten over a cold and a stomach bug and was ready for fun. Unfortunately, she passed on her illnesses on to Mommy, then Daddy, then Grandma Barb, then Mom-Mom, then Grandpa Pat, then Pop-Pop - each of us was sick at some point during the trip! (Several of us are still sick!) Luckily there were lots of hands on deck to take care of Anna. We'd usually begin the day down at the lagoon, nap, then take an afternoon dip in the pool. We found a great float that allowed her to walk around the shallow end on her own but also be pulled into the deeper end. However, she more enjoyed being out of the float and crawling around shallow water. Anna is very comfortable in the water - see the videos in the previous post. She was a little apprehensive of sand but got better as the week progressed.
In other news, Anna is up to seven teeth and is in the process of cutting another one. She's eating lots of table food and if you're not careful, will take what you have right off your plate! Next week she will start eating the lunch provided at daycare rather than the baby food we've been making and bring in for her. She is NOT a picky eater; she happily will try anything and we have yet to find a food that she refuses. She's also been trying out different sippy cups with water (and an occasional sip of juice), trying to get the hang of how they work.
Her verbal skills continue to develop. It's not unusual to find Anna sitting in a pile of books, pretending to read one with a complex babble. She's recently learned the word "no," but luckily she's only used it to tell me when she does not want any more food. We're working on perfecting "all done" and "diaper." Anna practices her talking with her favorite pal "Georgie," a stuffed Curious George doll with whom she is absolutely enamored. We've recently resurrected some of her "baby" toys like the swing and Bumbo so she can place Georgie in them - she gets such a kick out of it!
Can't believe that the next post will be for a 1 year-old! We are really enjoying watching Anna grow into a "big girl." Take a look at the pictures by clicking on the photo below, and don't forget to check out the Hawaiian videos Brian posted below that.
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| Anna - 11 months |
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Anna at 10 months
Our little girl is 10 months old today! She continues to amaze us. She looks less and less like a “baby” and more and more like a little girl. Last week she was promoted to the toddler side of the daycare room! We thought there might be some tears involved because she certainly was attached to her teacher, Ms. Van. The only tears we heard about, however, occurred when Anna briefly had to go back to the infant side one day when her new teacher was busy. Cue meltdown! She seems to love Miss Renee and “big girl” activities like crawling in the play structure, making animal sounds during circle time, and using Play-Doh.
Anna has become very adept at repeating words… we’ve heard her say “dog,” “pop-pop,” “blue,” and “pretty” when coached. She has begun using “ma-ma” and “da-da” with the correct parent, and also uses “hi” and “uh-oh” at appropriate times. Her newest word is “baby,” though I’m not yet sure she knows what it means. She knows to wave “bye-bye” when leaving day care.
Anna continues to try new and exciting foods. The produce where we live in California’s Central Valley is amazing and we’ve been able to try out lots of fresh fruits and veggies between our CSA deliveries and trips to the Davis Farmer’s Market. Anna’s starting to get frustrated with being fed by spoon and wants to feed herself. Mommy’s been trying out some new finger food recipes with some success. A couple of colds and some teething pain have put a damper on eating in recent weeks, but her fifth tooth is in and she’s on the mend – so her appetite is returning with a vengeance.
This past weekend we had a visit from Aunt Laura from D.C. Anna and her aunt had a wonderful time together taking walks, reading books, and napping together. We hope to see her again soon in late July when we will be heading back East for a short trip.
Anna’s SO close to walking that we thought we might be able to report a first step for this blog update. She’s started reaching for things farther and farther away when she’s standing, but so far, she still breaks down and crawls to them. She is working hard and perhaps will be taking a few tentative steps in time for vacation with her grandparents. We are headed to Oahu for a week, starting on the Fourth of July. We are so excited and can’t wait to see Anna’s reaction to the beach and pool!
Please click on the picture below to see what we’ve been up to!
Anna has become very adept at repeating words… we’ve heard her say “dog,” “pop-pop,” “blue,” and “pretty” when coached. She has begun using “ma-ma” and “da-da” with the correct parent, and also uses “hi” and “uh-oh” at appropriate times. Her newest word is “baby,” though I’m not yet sure she knows what it means. She knows to wave “bye-bye” when leaving day care.
Anna continues to try new and exciting foods. The produce where we live in California’s Central Valley is amazing and we’ve been able to try out lots of fresh fruits and veggies between our CSA deliveries and trips to the Davis Farmer’s Market. Anna’s starting to get frustrated with being fed by spoon and wants to feed herself. Mommy’s been trying out some new finger food recipes with some success. A couple of colds and some teething pain have put a damper on eating in recent weeks, but her fifth tooth is in and she’s on the mend – so her appetite is returning with a vengeance.
This past weekend we had a visit from Aunt Laura from D.C. Anna and her aunt had a wonderful time together taking walks, reading books, and napping together. We hope to see her again soon in late July when we will be heading back East for a short trip.
Anna’s SO close to walking that we thought we might be able to report a first step for this blog update. She’s started reaching for things farther and farther away when she’s standing, but so far, she still breaks down and crawls to them. She is working hard and perhaps will be taking a few tentative steps in time for vacation with her grandparents. We are headed to Oahu for a week, starting on the Fourth of July. We are so excited and can’t wait to see Anna’s reaction to the beach and pool!
Please click on the picture below to see what we’ve been up to!
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| Anna - 10 months |
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Anna at 9 months
Anna is three quarters of a year old today! We can't believe how time is flying.
We have quite a busy little girl on her hands - no one can contain her! Anna will be walking before long. She is a very fast crawler who goes quickly from sofas to tables, pulling herself up on anything that will stand still. She can cruise along any table or sofa, taking tentative steps at first and then growing in confidence and speed. She's now able to switch supports, pushing off from the coffee table to the sofa, for example. She can more deliberately go from a standing to a sitting position (rather than just falling she squats down). She also has been standing with no support for a few seconds at a time, and Ms. Van (her day care provider) has told me she can stand from a sitting position with no support (I've yet to see this!)
On the communication front, Anna is babbling and singing much more lately. The first word she seemed to use in a meaningful way was "uh-oh," when she would fall down or drop something. She has also started to realize what "da-da" and "ma-ma" mean and uses them VERY frequently. She's working on connecting "bye-bye" to the act of waving... sometimes it works out, sometimes not! We're working on a few baby signs, one of which, the sign for "more," Anna has just recently begun using.
Anna continues to successfully deal with more complex foods, and she has two more new teeth to help her out. This month we added a variety of beans (lima, garbanzo, edamame, even fava!) to her diet, as well as lentils. She can now eat small pieces of tortilla or toast (cinnamon toast on special occasions), and she's even made some decent attempts with shredded cheese. She's most happy when eating her puffs or crackers, because she is in control... watch out, this one likes to be in charge!
With the nicer weather we've been able to try out the playground a few times. Anna seems a little nervous on swings and slides but once she warms up to them we get lots of smiles and laughter. We were happy to get a visit from Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop this month, as you'll see in the pictures. They had tons of fun taking Anna on walks, feeding her, and watching her silly dance moves! This weekend, we had the pleasure of taking Anna on her first trip to the zoo! The Sacramento Zoo is in walking distance from our house and has a new giraffe exhibit - which is perfect since Anna is quite enamored with her Sophie the Giraffe toy. We even tried out the carousel for the first time and were able to snag a giraffe!
Mommy has one week of school left and is so looking forward to spending more quality time with Anna. On the summer schedule - a vacation to Hawaii and a trip back east to see family, especially cousin Logan! We'll keep you posted!
Click on the picture to see what we've been up to -
We have quite a busy little girl on her hands - no one can contain her! Anna will be walking before long. She is a very fast crawler who goes quickly from sofas to tables, pulling herself up on anything that will stand still. She can cruise along any table or sofa, taking tentative steps at first and then growing in confidence and speed. She's now able to switch supports, pushing off from the coffee table to the sofa, for example. She can more deliberately go from a standing to a sitting position (rather than just falling she squats down). She also has been standing with no support for a few seconds at a time, and Ms. Van (her day care provider) has told me she can stand from a sitting position with no support (I've yet to see this!)
On the communication front, Anna is babbling and singing much more lately. The first word she seemed to use in a meaningful way was "uh-oh," when she would fall down or drop something. She has also started to realize what "da-da" and "ma-ma" mean and uses them VERY frequently. She's working on connecting "bye-bye" to the act of waving... sometimes it works out, sometimes not! We're working on a few baby signs, one of which, the sign for "more," Anna has just recently begun using.
Anna continues to successfully deal with more complex foods, and she has two more new teeth to help her out. This month we added a variety of beans (lima, garbanzo, edamame, even fava!) to her diet, as well as lentils. She can now eat small pieces of tortilla or toast (cinnamon toast on special occasions), and she's even made some decent attempts with shredded cheese. She's most happy when eating her puffs or crackers, because she is in control... watch out, this one likes to be in charge!
With the nicer weather we've been able to try out the playground a few times. Anna seems a little nervous on swings and slides but once she warms up to them we get lots of smiles and laughter. We were happy to get a visit from Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop this month, as you'll see in the pictures. They had tons of fun taking Anna on walks, feeding her, and watching her silly dance moves! This weekend, we had the pleasure of taking Anna on her first trip to the zoo! The Sacramento Zoo is in walking distance from our house and has a new giraffe exhibit - which is perfect since Anna is quite enamored with her Sophie the Giraffe toy. We even tried out the carousel for the first time and were able to snag a giraffe!
Mommy has one week of school left and is so looking forward to spending more quality time with Anna. On the summer schedule - a vacation to Hawaii and a trip back east to see family, especially cousin Logan! We'll keep you posted!
Click on the picture to see what we've been up to -
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| Anna - 9 months |
Monday, April 26, 2010
Anna crawls
See video below. Not her first crawling, but the first time we've gotten good video of it.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Anna at 8 months
It's been a busy month for Anna!
It didn't start out so well... Anna had her first ear infection and we were introduced to the joys of administering the lovely pink amoxicillin to an infant. Shortly after, she developed another cold. She couldn't seem to shake this one and we ended up in the ER one night with a child struggling to breathe - very scary! A few hours later an ambulance took us to the Kaiser Roseville pediatric ward, where they took very good care of Anna. She ended up having RSV. We stayed at the hospital from Thursday night to Sunday afternoon, during which time Anna received oxygen and breathing treatments and had her blood oxygen levels monitored. Grandpa Pat was kind enough to fly out for the following week. Anna was not quite up for daycare when she was released, but Mommy and Daddy needed to get to work! It was not very fun overall, but it made us appreciate our overall healthy daughter so much more!
Anna is much better now and has been quite a busy lady. She spent the month learning to crawl - first backward, then a military crawl on her belly, and in the last week she has finally mastered the traditional crawl. She has learned how to pull to stand, which she definitely prefers to crawling. She is also able to get to a sitting position from a crawling position - she sort of backs herself into sitting up - very cute! She is quite proud of herself.
On the communication front, it is obvious that Anna is beginning to understand words. She can say "hi" and "dada." When I say that "dada" is home she begins to get excited, looking for Brian. Her babbling continues to increase in complexity. She can clap her hands together and occasionally makes a waving motion for "bye bye." Word has it at daycare that her pal Ethan (12 months old) tries to kiss and hug her and Anna pushes him away... we were very glad to hear it!
In food news, Anna has been trying all sorts of new things! Yogurt and avocado continue to be favorites, but she also enjoys chicken, quinoa, avocado,and cauliflower! She's also begun working on feeding herself some crackers and cereal puffs, with lots of supervision.
We celebrated Easter this year in Baton Rouge with Grandpa Pat, Grandma Barb and Aunt Jenny. We then headed over to Pass Christian, MS for some relaxing time at the beach house. Anna was well behaved on our flights - you'll see one picture of her on the plane when we got bumped up to her first class -Anna was thrilled.
Mommy's counting the days until summer vacation so she can spend more quality time with her little girl. The weather is beautiful and is allowing for lots of long walks. We're enjoying every minute.
Click on the picture to see more!
It didn't start out so well... Anna had her first ear infection and we were introduced to the joys of administering the lovely pink amoxicillin to an infant. Shortly after, she developed another cold. She couldn't seem to shake this one and we ended up in the ER one night with a child struggling to breathe - very scary! A few hours later an ambulance took us to the Kaiser Roseville pediatric ward, where they took very good care of Anna. She ended up having RSV. We stayed at the hospital from Thursday night to Sunday afternoon, during which time Anna received oxygen and breathing treatments and had her blood oxygen levels monitored. Grandpa Pat was kind enough to fly out for the following week. Anna was not quite up for daycare when she was released, but Mommy and Daddy needed to get to work! It was not very fun overall, but it made us appreciate our overall healthy daughter so much more!
Anna is much better now and has been quite a busy lady. She spent the month learning to crawl - first backward, then a military crawl on her belly, and in the last week she has finally mastered the traditional crawl. She has learned how to pull to stand, which she definitely prefers to crawling. She is also able to get to a sitting position from a crawling position - she sort of backs herself into sitting up - very cute! She is quite proud of herself.
On the communication front, it is obvious that Anna is beginning to understand words. She can say "hi" and "dada." When I say that "dada" is home she begins to get excited, looking for Brian. Her babbling continues to increase in complexity. She can clap her hands together and occasionally makes a waving motion for "bye bye." Word has it at daycare that her pal Ethan (12 months old) tries to kiss and hug her and Anna pushes him away... we were very glad to hear it!
In food news, Anna has been trying all sorts of new things! Yogurt and avocado continue to be favorites, but she also enjoys chicken, quinoa, avocado,and cauliflower! She's also begun working on feeding herself some crackers and cereal puffs, with lots of supervision.
We celebrated Easter this year in Baton Rouge with Grandpa Pat, Grandma Barb and Aunt Jenny. We then headed over to Pass Christian, MS for some relaxing time at the beach house. Anna was well behaved on our flights - you'll see one picture of her on the plane when we got bumped up to her first class -Anna was thrilled.
Mommy's counting the days until summer vacation so she can spend more quality time with her little girl. The weather is beautiful and is allowing for lots of long walks. We're enjoying every minute.
Click on the picture to see more!
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| Anna - Eight Months |
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Anna - lucky number 7!
Anna is 7 months old today! The past month flew by. It started with a visit from Grandpa and Grandma Perone, eager to see Anna after their President's Day weekend trip was postponed due to inclement weather. Anna impressed them with her babbling, rolling, and attempts at crawling.
The weather has been steadily improving and we are able to take long walks in the sunshine nearly every day. Anna loves her little car (see pics) and gets a ton of attention from passersby. Soon she will be old enough for "high speeds" in her jogging stroller so Mommy can get back into running. Anna has been very talkative lately and babbles up a storm. She has stumbled upon a few words here and there. Her first official word is "hi;" she can usually be coaxed into saying it if you are patient enough. She has started waving back when you wave at her - it's a full arm flailing that sometimes results in Mommy or Daddy getting slapped but it's a start, and she is so proud of herself!
We just had Grandma Kreis out for a week-long visit while Brian was out of town for work. She had a wonderful time taking Anna for walks and feeding her her favorite foods - avocados and butternut squash! New veggies and fruits are being introduced every few days, and to celebrate her 7 month birthday Anna tried a little plain yogurt... she loved it!
We continue to enjoy each day with Anna - check out the pics to see what we've been up to!
The weather has been steadily improving and we are able to take long walks in the sunshine nearly every day. Anna loves her little car (see pics) and gets a ton of attention from passersby. Soon she will be old enough for "high speeds" in her jogging stroller so Mommy can get back into running. Anna has been very talkative lately and babbles up a storm. She has stumbled upon a few words here and there. Her first official word is "hi;" she can usually be coaxed into saying it if you are patient enough. She has started waving back when you wave at her - it's a full arm flailing that sometimes results in Mommy or Daddy getting slapped but it's a start, and she is so proud of herself!
We just had Grandma Kreis out for a week-long visit while Brian was out of town for work. She had a wonderful time taking Anna for walks and feeding her her favorite foods - avocados and butternut squash! New veggies and fruits are being introduced every few days, and to celebrate her 7 month birthday Anna tried a little plain yogurt... she loved it!
We continue to enjoy each day with Anna - check out the pics to see what we've been up to!
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| Anna - 7 months |
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Anna's Half Birthday
Yes, our little girl is now 6 months old! It's incredible how the time has flown, but also amazing how much she's grown.
She's sitting up and trying to crawl, but since that isn't working, she seems to be working on skipping the whole crawling thing and going straight to standing. Not that she's more successful there, but she gets a big kick out of almost supporting her weight.
She's also gotten her first two teeth (more on the way), and has just started solid food. Actually, before we'd tried solid food at home, her older (9 months!) boyfriend at daycare shared his graham cracker with her at lunch and, despite that not being an optimal first food, she wolfed it down while everyone had their backs turned! She certainly was ready for solids! We've started her out on slightly more conventional sweet potatoes, and she's taking to that too. She's still in a "more food on the outside than the inside" phase, but that's half the fun.
Sacramento weather has been beautiful (sorry to all of you buried under snow), so we've been able to get out for lots of walks, and Anna's big enough to sit upright in her stroller and see the sights.
More pictures of all our adventures below!
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| Anna - six months |
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Teeth!
Although Anna's had her teeth for a week now, it's taken us that long to get a picture of them. Still a little hard to see, but they're definitely there!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Anna at 24 weeks - with teeth!
Anna turned a whopping 24 weeks old today, and she has quite a few developmental milestones to show for it! She finally made the move to her own room last week and is doing quite well in her crib. (I know, Mommy needed to cut the cord!) She's now able to sit up unsupported for extended periods of time. She is becoming quite adept at reaching for, grasping, and manipulating toys... and anything else she can get her hands on! (See the picture where she has managed to grab the key to Mommy's Algebra 2 test!) She is rolling and scooting her way across the room and you definitely need to keep an eye on her at all times!
As if all of these accomplishments were not enough... the BIG news of the hour is Anna's new teeth! Her two bottom teeth cut through this weekend. She's in some pain but managing okay. Next stop - solid food!
The rain in Sacramento has abated, and now that it's light out until later in the evening our evening walks have resumed. Most afternoons Mommy and Anna walk to see the ducks and geese in the park... Daddy joins us on the weekends.
Take a look at our latest set of pictures:
As if all of these accomplishments were not enough... the BIG news of the hour is Anna's new teeth! Her two bottom teeth cut through this weekend. She's in some pain but managing okay. Next stop - solid food!
The rain in Sacramento has abated, and now that it's light out until later in the evening our evening walks have resumed. Most afternoons Mommy and Anna walk to see the ducks and geese in the park... Daddy joins us on the weekends.
Take a look at our latest set of pictures:
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| 2010-02-06 Anna 24 weeks |
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Anna at 5 months!
Our little girl is growing up so fast! This past month flew by. It took a while for the whole family to get over our jet lag from our Christmas trip.... but after some work Anna is again sleeping through the night... hooray! We are settling down into a very predictable routine with Mommy and Daddy running home from work as fast as we can each evening to spend time with Anna. Anna continues to thrive at daycare and we are really happy with her caregivers... they seem almost as in love with Anna as we are!
Last week, Brian had to leave on an eight day business trip to London, so my dad came out to help me with Anna for the week. They had a wonderful time together and Anna was sad to see her Pop-Pop leave... but she sure was glad when Brian returned.
Anna is starting to exhibit some personality traits and Mommy and Daddy have a wonderful time teasing each other about who is responsible for which mannerisms. She is able to sit up on her own for short periods and has started to work on trying to sit up when she's lying down. She is also able to make some forward progress when on her belly, although she has not quite put it together that it would be easier if she lifted her head up rather than dragged it across the carpet! She is very proud of herself for learning how to blow raspberries and amuses herself with that trick for quite a while some days. Her feet are her favorite toys and can keep entertained for hours!
Take a look at her latest pictures by clicking below:
Last week, Brian had to leave on an eight day business trip to London, so my dad came out to help me with Anna for the week. They had a wonderful time together and Anna was sad to see her Pop-Pop leave... but she sure was glad when Brian returned.
Anna is starting to exhibit some personality traits and Mommy and Daddy have a wonderful time teasing each other about who is responsible for which mannerisms. She is able to sit up on her own for short periods and has started to work on trying to sit up when she's lying down. She is also able to make some forward progress when on her belly, although she has not quite put it together that it would be easier if she lifted her head up rather than dragged it across the carpet! She is very proud of herself for learning how to blow raspberries and amuses herself with that trick for quite a while some days. Her feet are her favorite toys and can keep entertained for hours!
Take a look at her latest pictures by clicking below:
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| Anna - Five Months |
Friday, January 1, 2010
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